Library Executive Director Candidate Forum to be held June 18

The Jefferson County Public Library (JCPL) Board of Trustees invites Jefferson County residents to a community forum to meet finalist candidates for JCPL’s Executive Director position. The forum will be held from 6:30 – 8 p.m. on Monday, June 18, at the Lakewood Cultural Center's Community Room, Civic Center North Building, 470 S. Allison Pkwy., Lakewood (MAP, opens a new window). Light refreshments will be served.

“JCPL values community input as a core tenet of its service model,” said Chic Naumer, library trustee and member of the search committee. “We are delighted to have a very strong group of finalists and encourage members of the community to weigh in as we make this critically important decision.”

During the forum, candidates will participate in a panel discussion and respond to questions from Jefferson County residents and library staff. After the panel discussion, there will be an opportunity to meet and speak informally with the candidates. Attendees will be invited to share their feedback on the candidates by completing a short survey, and survey results will help to inform the Board of Trustees’ Search Committee as they evaluate the finalists.

Early this year, Executive Director Pam Nissler announced her impending retirement, to be effective August 31. In March, the Library Board retained the services of Bradbury Miller Associates, a nationally recognized firm that specializes in library recruitments, to help recruit her replacement. They launched a nationwide search in early March, and 29 qualified people applied for the executive director position. The Search Committee is now conducting a rigorous interview process to select finalist candidates, with plans to announce finalists within the next few weeks. 

From June 18-19, finalists will tour JCPL libraries, meet Library staff, complete in-person interviews with the Search Committee and participate in the community forum.  The Search Committee will then collate all of the feedback and make a recommendation to the Library Board. Assuming a favorable outcome of the process, the Library Board expects to announce a new executive director by mid-summer.